Lifeboat holding and releasing mechanism



March 1-7, 1931. G. R. FENNEMA 1,795,648

LIFEBOAT HOLDING AND RELEASING MECHANISM Original Filed July 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y IN V EN TOR. J 1

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March 17, 1931. e. R. FENNEMA 1,796,543

LIFEBOAT HOLDING AND RELEASING MECHANISM Original Filed July '7, 1927 2 shee-tsheet 2 Fig-.5.

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Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES cans a. FENNEMA, or rnnnronr, new YORK LIF BO AT, HOLDING AND RELEASING MECHANISM Original application filed July 7, 1927, Serial No. 203,856. Divided and this application filed Jan ary 4,

1930. Serial No. 413,449.

This invention relatesto means for securing and releasing lifeboats and the l ke, on shipboard, and has as a general ob]ect the provision of improved means for securely holding such boats under normal conditions,

but which are operative to release the boats when desired, in a quick, convenient and eflicient manner.

More particularly an object of the invention is to provide means adapted to secure the boat may be dropped on an even keel,

a lifeboat of the shell type on a boat deck,

such means being adapted to be released even though the entire weight of the boat is at that time supported by the falls.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear here1nafter.

This present application is a division of 2 my copendingapplication Serial No. 203,896,

filed July 7, 1927 a The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which willbe indicated in the claim.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invent-ion reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the. accompanying drawings, in which: t

Figure '1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a lifeboat of the shell type secured to the deck of a ship by the improved securing and releasing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the dotted. lines 2+2 in Fig. 1;

' FigsQ3 and4 are detail views slightly enlarged and partlyin section of thesecuring and releasing mechanism;

1 coming water.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modified type of the securing and releasing mechanism shown attached to the boat fall leads of an ordinary lifeboat; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of one end of the modified form shown in Fig. 5.

The exemplification shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, shows the ship deck 10, upon which by means of the lugs 11 is supported a lifeboat 12 of the shell type. Under normal conditions the boat may be secured to the deck by turnbuckles 11, or the like, which are released at such times as the need for using the lifeboat may appear to be imminent;

This boat is equipped with a manhole or entrance 13, through which the occupants enter, and which may be sealed against in- Theboat may also if desired be equipped with ventilating stacks 1 1, which in turn may be equipped with valves 15 by which the ventilators may be entirely closed oil, and with suitable float-controlled cover mechanisms 16 and 16", which prevent the entrance of water into the ventilating stacks when a wave approaches.

Along the keel line of the boat and intermediate the ends thereof are positioned lugs 17, which are rigidly secured to the boat shell, and the inside faces 18 of which are inclined downwardly and inwardly, for rcasons hereinafter explained. Attached to the boat deck and co-operating with each of the lugs 17 arehydraulically controlled plunger mechanisms generally designated as 19. These mechanisms comprise cylinders 20, fixed in position with respect to the deck 10, in which move closely fitting plungers 21, the exposed faces 22 of which are oppositely inclined to and mate with the inclined faces 18 of the lugs 17. Communicating with the rear end of each cylinder 20 is a pipe 23, which leads to the chamber 24 of a special cross 25, which is situated intermediate the plunger mechanisms 19, and preferably at approximately the center of the boat keel. Also communicating with the chamber 2-1 of the cross 25 is a pipe 26, which leads to the mechanism shown in detail in Fig. 4.

This mechanism in Fig. 4: is situated on the deck of the ship in a convenient location, and as shown comprises a liquid supply tank 27 attached by a pipe 28 to a pressure pump 29, from which liquid may be forced through the pipe 30 into the pipe 26, and thence into the inner ends of the cylinders 20, which in turn force the rains 21 outwardly until they contact with the lugs 17. In this position a vent 31 in each cylinder is uncovered. Each of these vents is connected toa pipe 32, in whichis situated a valve 33, the pipe 32 leading back to the tank 27. By forcing liquid through the system and back into the tank 27, the cylinders and pipes are purged free of any air,

whereupon the valves 33 are closed and the actuation of the pump 29 is continued until the desired hydraulic pressure is obtained in the system. This pressure is indicated by desired pressure is obtained.

suitable valves 34, which may be conveniently placed, as shown in Fig. 4, on the pipe 30, and the pipe 30 may also be equipped with a valve 35, whichis closed after the Connecting with the pipes26 and 30 i a spring-pressed piston valve 36, having a piston 37 ,which is normally retained in its outward position by the spring 38, and upon which the hydrostatic pressure operates when the ship is submerged. The tension of the spring 38 may be adjusted by a suitable screw mechanism 39, sothatat any de sired hydrostatic pressure the piston 37 may be forced downwardly until the port'4t) in the piston rod 41 registers with the ports 42 in the walls of the release valve 36.

The operation of the releasing mechanism above described will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. When the hydraulic pressurehas been placed on the rams ,19, they will'be forced outwardly so as securely ,toretain the boat 12. If the ship sinks, the

hydrostatic pressure on the piston 37 of the spring-valve 36 becomes such that the port 4O is forced into registry with the ports 42, at which time the pressure will be released from the system, and the buoyance of the lifeboat l2, acting through the inclined faces 18 of the lugs 27 will force the piston 21 0f the rams 19 inwardly, until the boat can rise clear of the ship. It will'be readily under stood that this mechanism maybe set to operate automatically well in advance of any dangerous hydrostatic pressure which would crushthe lifeboat 12, and moreover that if, for example, the mechanism is set to operate automatically at a hydrostatic pressure-of 80 feet and the lifeboat is only submerged to a depth of 40 feet, the passing of a wave 40 feet high would actuate the mechanism and release the lifeboat. j

Further to insure the safety of the occupants of the lifeboat 12, there is provided a means for releasing the retaining mechanism independently of the automatic release tem into the tank being controlled by the hand-valve 45. In other words, when the operator inside of the boat wishes to release the boat from the ship, the valve 45 is opened and the liquid flows from the system into the tank 44, thus releasing the pressure on the plungers 21'. For the guidance of the operator, the'hydrostatic pressure on the lifeboat may be indicated by a suitable gauge 46. It will be understood of course that the pipe 43 is passed through the bottom of the shell 12 in a manner so as to prevent the ingress of water, and that it is connected to the cross 25 by a slip-joint or the like, sothat when the lifeboat rises from the ship the pipe 43 will be readily disconnected. from the cross25.

From an understanding of the above structure, the operation of the modified form of the securing and releasing device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 will be readily understood. In the exemplification shown, a block 47 having an inclined face 48 is attached to each boat fall tackle-block 49. Likewise there is rigidly secured to each end of the lifeboat 50 an upstanding lug 51, against which the other side of the block 47 rests. Each lug 51 may, if desired, be

equippedwith a snap-hook 52, by which the lifeboat may be readily secured to the .boat falls for hoisting back onto the deck of the ship and to facilitate this the block .47 may be equipped with a loop 53, which may be snapped into the hook 52, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Cooperating with the inclined face 48 of each block 47 are When it isdesired to release the lifeboat either at the time it is resting on the surface of the water or while it is still suspended some distance above the water, this can be done quickly and efliciently by releasing the pressure in the system by means of the valve 62, which .is shown in Fig.5 as situated at the forward end'of the, cabin of the lifeboat. This release valve may be of course situated at any other convenient point in the system, and the excess liquid may pass into the tank 63 or be ejected overboard, as desired.

It is particularly desired to be pointed out that an obvious modification of the present invention would be to reverse the relative position of the hydraulic plungers 19 and the cooperating lugs 17 from their present position to a position on the lifeboat and the deck of the ship respectively in Figs. 1 to 4, and a similar change could of course readily be made in the modified form shown in Fig. 5.

Since certain other changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the acoompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: g

5 An apparatus for releasing a lifeboat from boat falls, comprising, in combination, a lifeboat having opposed lugs rigidly connected thereto, a hydraulic ram rigidly attached to said boat and opposed to each of said lugs, the pistons of said rams being adapted to be pressed outwardly by hydraulic pressure and having their outer ends inclined downwardly and inwardly, a fall and tackle carrying a block having faces 5 adapted to be positioned between and held by each associated block and piston to support the lifeboat from the falls, means for creating hydraulic pressure in the system to force the plungers outwardly, and means for manually releasing the pressure in the system whereby both points of support of the lifeboat are released simultaneously from the falls.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GABE R. FENNEMA. 

